Locking device for tubular lamps or the like



H. S. BIXBY Dec. 14, 1943.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR LAMPS OR THE LIKE Filed March 25 1942 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 4 Harold S. Bixby, East Haven, Conn, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Edward A. Abbey, New Haven, Conn.

Application March 25, 1942, Serial lflo.'43d,094 Claims. (Cl. 173328) This invention relates to locking devices for tubular or fluorescent lamps.

The fluorescent lamps in present use are of cylindrical or tubular shape, and normally are provided upon their end faces with extendin prong-like contact members which are, adapted to be received in end sockets or fixtures disposed adjacent each end face of the lamp, these contact members serving both to make electrical contact with elements in the socket and to sustain the lamp in position.

These contact members are normally slipped into slots opening through one edge of the socket members, and then moved either laterally or rotatably to a position in which they are retained in the sockets, usually by the spring contacts with which they engage. It has been found, however, that due to vibration and other causes it often occurs that the lamps will be caused to move in their sockets and be released therefrom, usually to drop on the floor and break. The present invention is designed to provide means for locking the lamps against movement after they have been properly placed in their sockets, so that there will be no danger of their being accidentally released, but the lamps may be removed from the sockets when desired by releasing the securing or locking means.

It also occurs in some instances that the end sockets in which the lamps are held are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of the lamps themselves, so as to leave some endwise play of the lamp between the socket members. When the lamp, due to vibration or other causes, tends to move in one direction or the other as far as is permitted by the socket and the adjacent end face of the lamp, the prongto securely hold the lamp in position. That is, while the contact members at the other end of the lamp may still engage the socket member, any slight outward movement of the latter might result in the release of that end of the lamp, with the result that it would fall from the Socket.

One object of the present invention is to provide a locking means for tubular or fluorescent lamps such that endwise play of the lamp in the socket will be prevented or greatly reduced.

,Another object of the invention is to provide a locking means for fluorescent lamps such that once the lamp is installed in the socket it will be prevented from a reverse movement, and hence may not be removed from the socket until the locking means is released.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive locking means for tubular or fluorescent lamps which may be easily installed in position to engage the lamp and socket members, and prevent relative movement between the two so as to obviate any likelihood of accidental release of'the lamp from the sockets.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide means for looking a tubular lamp to its socket when the socket is provided with slots of inverted L-shaped form, so that the lamp, when being installed, moves longitudinally of the socket and then laterally thereof to its final position, the locking means preventing a reverse like contact members will not be sufficiently long lateral movement of the lamp with respect to the socket and thereby preventing detachment of the lamp from the socket.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawin Fig. l is a front elevational view of a tubular lamp and end sockets therefor provided with my invention;

Fig. 2'isa sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the locking members prior to installation of the same; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the second or cooperating locking element.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a fluorescent or tubular lamp l0, having at each end a pair of projecting prong-like contact members I I adapted to be received in the end'socket members or fixtures I2, which it will be understood are usually secured to some suitable support. The socket members may be provided with spring contacts l3 and I l designed to make eleqtrical' contact with the prong-like members H to complete the circuit through the lamp.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the socket members. l2 are providedv with slol?s of inverted L- shaped form, these slots extending through one edge of the socket and having longitudinally extending portions I5 and laterally extending portions l6, which latter communicate with the portions l5. In order to install the lamp in the socket the prong-like contact members II are entered through the lower ends of the slots 15, and moved upwardly until these members reach the laterally extending portion I6, when they are moved laterally with respect to the socket into the positions shown in Figs. Z'and 3. In,

In order thatthe lamp may be effectively secured in place, I have provided a locking element I 8, shown in Fig. 5, this locking element comprising a central portion 20 provided with openings 2| designed to receive the contact members ll so that the element l8 will be secured to the lamp itself. This member is also provided with end portions or wings 22 having slots 23 formed therein, the wings being adapted to be folded or bent rearwardly along the dotted lines 24 so as to embrace the sides of the sockets i 2, as shown more especially in Fig. 4.

The element 18 is formed of an insulating material so that it will not short-circuit the contacts Ii. It may be. conveniently formed of a relatively thin sheet of fiber so that it may be readily bent along th dotted lines 24 and have some inherent resiliency or springiness so that it may be readily retained in place.

As shown in Fig. 4, the end or wing portions 22 of the member l8 embrace the sides of the socket member 12, and the openings 23 lie adjacent the rear wall of the socket member. In order to hold this member in embracing relation with the socket, I provide a key or wedging member 25, shown more especially in Figs. 4 and 6. This member comprises a bar which may also be made of fiber, which bar is provided with notches 26 adjacent its ends, so that when these ends are slipped through the slots 23 of the wing members 22, the edges of these slots will engage in the notches and hold the wing members in the position shown in Fig. 4, in which they closely embrace the side walls of the socket. The member 25 may also be provided with a fulcrum lug 21 upon its lower face, which lug bears against the back of the socket, as shown in Fig.

tion, the key or cooperating element is thenslipped into place, as shown in Fig. 4, the ends of this member passing through the slots 23, and the fulcrum portion 21 forcing the end portions ofthis member upwardly due to its inherent resilience, so that the wing members 22- are securely retained in the notches 26'.

It will be apparent that when the parts are in the position shown in' Fig. 4, lateral movement of the lamp will be prevented in the slots It by reason of the fact that the contacts II are received fairly snugly in the openings 2|, and the member I8 is prevented from lateral movement with respect to the socket by reason of the fact that the'wing members 22 are held in a position closely embracing the side walls of the socket member. When it is desired to remove the lamp from the socket one end of the member may be sprung downwardly about the fulcrum 21, until theadjacent wing member 22 is released from the notch 26, and the member 25 can then be slipped out, and the lamp may be moved laterally with respect to the socket as the wing members 22 are released, and will yield sufficiently to peris made of relatively thin material and possesses 4, and tends to maintain the notched portions of the member 25 in secure engagement with the edges of the slots 23 in the wing members 22. t will be seen that this fulcrum portion 21 of the member 25 maintains the body of this member in slightly spaced relation with the rear face of the socket l2, so that the end portions of the member 25 may be sprung downwardly, as

shown in Fig. 4, in order to release the members r 22 when it is desired to remove the lamp from the socket. I

When it is desired to install the lamp in the employment of my invention, the wing members 22 are bent along the dotted lines 24, and the member i8 applied to the end face of the lamp, as shown in Fig. 4, with the contacts ll passing through the openings 2i and the wing members projecting rearwardly or outwardly from the end face of the lamp. The contact member II are then slipped into the slots P5, with the central portion 20 of the locking element I 8 lying between the lamp andthe socket member. When the contact members ll reach the upper ends of the sockets they are moved laterally in the usual manner into their final position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be understood that the wing members 22 are sufficiently resilient to per' mit this movement without being permanently deformed. When the lamp is in its final posia certain amount of inherent resilience, the bending of the wings 22 will tend to cause the central portion 20 of the member 18 to arch or bow outward y, as shown in Fig. 4, and press against the end face of the lamp. As a result, any end play which the lamp may have been the sockets is eliminated or greatly reduced, and the lamp is prevented from moving far enough in one direction of its length to release the contacts H from the other socket.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is'not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the principles of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a tubular lamp having an end extension and a socket member having an L-shaped slot, the inner end of said slot being laterally disposed and receiving said extension when the lamp is in place, and an element secured to said lamp at the end face thereof and engaged with side faces of the socket member to prevent relative lateral movement between the parts.

2. In combination with a tubular lamp having an-end extension and a socket member having an L-shaped slot, the inner end of said slot being laterally disposed and receiving said extension when the' lamp is in place, and an element secured to said lamp at the end face thereof and embracing the sides of said socket member to prevent lateral movement between said parts.

3. In combination with a tubular lamp and socket therefor, means for holding said lamp from release from its socket, the socket being positioned against the end face of the lamp and the lamp being releasable by a lateral movement with respect to the socket, said means comprising an element secured to the lamp and having a body portion disposed against the end face of the lamp, and end, portions embracing the sides of the socket, and means for securing said end portions together at the outer face of the socket to hold said element in place.

4. In combination with a tubular lamp and socket therefon'means for holding said lamp from release from its socket, the lamp being releasable by a lateral movement with respect to the socket, said means comprising an element engaged with the lamp and having a body portion disposed against the end face of the lamp, and transversely turned end portions embracing the sides of the socket, and means for securing said end portions together to hold said element in place, said element being formed of flexible insulating material.

5. In combination with a tubular lamp and socket therefor, means for holding said lamp from release from its socket, the lamp being releasable by a lateral movement with respect to the socket, said means comprising an element engaged with the lamp and having a body portion disposed against the end face of the lamp, and rearwardly projecting end portions embracing the sides of the socket, and means for securing said end portions together to hold said element in place, said end portions having slots formed therein, and said securing means comprising a bar passing through said slots and engaged with the edges thereof.

6. In combination with a tubular lamp having projecting end contactsiand a socket member to receive said contacts upon a lateral movement of the lamp relatively to the socket member, means to prevent removal of the contacts from said socket member comprising a disk-like member of insulating material engaged with the contacts and having rearwardly extending wings em- 1 bracing the sides of the socket member, and means connecting said wings at the rear-face of the socket member to prevent relative lateral movement between said lamp and socket member.

7. In combination with a tubular lamp having projecting end contacts and a socket member to receive said contacts, means to prevent lateral movement of the contacts in said socket member comprising a disk-like member engaged with the contacts and having rearwardly extending wings to embrace the sides of the socket member, and means connecting said wings at the rear face of the socket member, said disk-like member being formed of flexible insulating material and urging said lamp outwardly from the socket member.

8. In combination with a tubular lamp having projecting end contacts and a socket member to receive said contacts, means to prevent removal of the contacts from said socket member comprising a flexible disk-like member of insulating material engaged with the contacts and having rearwardly extending wings embracing the sides of the socket member, means connecting said wings at the rear face of the socket member, and said disk-like member being flexed outwardly to limit end play between the lamp and socket mem- 9. Means for securing to its socket a tubular lamp having contact pins projecting from the end face thereof, said means comprising an element having a plate-like body portion provided with openings to snugly receive said pins, end portions transversely turned with respect to the body portion to embrace the sides of the socket, and means for securing said end portions together to secure said element to the socket.

10. Means for securing to its socket a tubular lamp having contact pins projecting from the end face thereof, said means comprising an element having a plate-like body portion provided with openings to snugly receive said pins, end portions transversely turned with respect to the body portion to embrace the sides of the socket, and a bar extending across the rear face of the socket and releasably secured to said end portions to hold said element against movement relatively to the socket. I

HAROLD S. BIXBY. 

